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Weekend van de Wetenschap 7 & 8 oktober

News

In het weekend van 7 & 8 oktober is het weekend van de wetenschap. Ook het Zeehondencentrum doet dit jaar weer mee. Dit jaar met het onderwerp: hoe kijk je als je niets kunt zien? We gaan het hebben over de zintuigen van de zeehond. Om precies te zijn: de snorharen.

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Als wij iets willen vinden, gebruiken we meestal onze ogen en handen. Zeehonden moeten het onder water heel anders doen. Met hun snorharen kunnen ze de kleinste trillingen in het water opvangen en voelen waar vissen zwemmen. Zelfs als de vis al bijna 200 meter verderop is, kan de zeehond de achtergebleven trillingen nog voelen! Tijdens Weekend van de Wetenschap kun je in het Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen ervaren hoe een zeehond dat doet. Kom langs om snorharen te voelen, van dichtbij te zien hoe ze werken, en om de wetenschappers te ontmoeten die hier onderzoek naar doen. Deze activiteiten zijn gratis inbegrepen bij het kopen van een ticket voor je bezoek aan ons.

Datum en tijd

Zaterdag 7 oktober 2023
10:00-17:00

Zondag 8 oktober 2023
10:00-17:00


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Bas Wemmenhove onze nieuwe directeur

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Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen benoemt Bas Wemmenhove per 28 augustus als operationeel directeur
Bas wordt verantwoordelijk voor de dagelijkse aansturing van het Zeehondencentrum in Pieterburen: Hij gaat in Pieterburen de komende twee jaar organisatorisch en inhoudelijk aan de slag om de dagelijkse operatie klaar te stomen voor een nieuwe toekomst in Lauwersoog. Hij ondersteunt Directeur-Bestuurder Niek Kuizenga, die gaandeweg steeds meer tijd en aandacht nodig heeft voor de realisatie van het Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee en het smeden van nieuwe samenwerkingsverbanden.   

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Bas: “Ik vind het een enorme eer om de dagelijkse aansturing van het Zeehondencentrum in Pieterburen, en later in Lauwersoog, op me te nemen. Vanaf jonge leeftijd heb ik een enorme affiniteit met de natuur. De transitie naar één Werelderfgoedcentrum is prachtig en uitdagend tegelijk. Het biedt de kans om verder te bouwen aan een stevig fundament waarin natuur en mens centraal staan. Ik kijk er naar uit om mijn collega’s te ondersteunen en faciliteren in het uitvoeren van hun dagelijkse werkzaamheden.”

Niek: “Bas is een zeer ervaren people-manager, die onze passie voor de zeehond en het Unesco Werelderfgoed Waddenzee met ons deelt. Hij wordt gedreven door de wens om “ons” verhaal uit te dragen en daarmee bij te dragen aan een wereld waarin natuur en mens met elkaar in balans zijn. Bas is een bezielde én zakelijke persoonlijkheid. Iemand die onze missie en visie uitdraagt en medewerkers hierin meeneemt”  

Sealcentre Pieterburen

Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen is opgericht 1971. In 2025 staat er een verhuizing gepland naar Lauwersoog. De komende twee jaar realiseren we vanuit Pieterburen dé plek om te leren over, werken aan en bij te dragen aan duurzaamheid, klimaatverandering en biodiversiteit. Met als uitgangspunt, verhalenverteller en (klimaat) icoon: de zeehond. Slechts één stukje van een veel groter geheel. Het is onze overtuiging dat gezonde zeehonden en een gezonde zee onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden zijn. In ons centrum bestuderen onderzoekers wat we van dit principe kunnen leren. Voor de zeehond, voor onze zee én voor onze eigen gezondheid.


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Zoo en Wildlife health conference 2023

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From June 7-10, Matilde Trambajolo (vet intern) and Anna Salazar Casals (vet) attended the Zoo and Wildlife Health conference 2023, which took place in Valencia.

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  • presentation Mathilde zoo and wildlife health conference

  • presentation Mathilde zoo and wildlife health conference

As the organisers mentioned: "This conference provides a unique platform for members of the veterinary community, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists from all over the world, to come together, discuss, and exchange knowledge on various issues, including the latest advancements in research and best practices in wildlife conservation, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare. As we continue to confront a rapidly changing world of emerging diseases, habitat loss, and climate change, the work of zoo and wildlife veterinarians is more important than ever. Our profession plays a crucial role in both the conservation of endangered species and the protection and well-being of the animals under our care. Our commitment, expertise, and insights are invaluable resources for the broader scientific community, policymakers, and the public."

The conference was very interesting, the content very nice and informative, and the people very nice and willing to learn and collaborate.

Matilde presented a project she did for her master thesis at Barcelona Zoo. This project looked at antibiotic resistances within the zoo. She looked at different samples from different animals and checked for antimicrobial resistance. Matilde presented her results and answered all the questions asked by the public in a calm and professional way. She was confident in herself and presented very well. This is the summary of her presentation:

"The potential for emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in zoo settings poses a challenge to the adequate treatment of individuals and a potential threat to public health. This retrospective study aimed to characterize AR in mammals kept at Barcelona Zoo between 2016-2021. Bacterial cultures (n=1026) were recovered from clinical records, of which 29% were positive with available antibiograms (n=298). Of these, 238 antibiograms were selected according to a “first-bacterial-genus-per-isolate-per-patient” methodology, mostly from Bovidae (n=63), Delphinidae (n=41) and Hominidae (n=32). AR was assessed including yearly multidrug resistance (MDR) occurrence (i.e., bacteria resistant to three or more antibiotic classes)a, generation of a cumulative antibiogram (CA) (i.e., susceptibility rate of the ten most isolated bacteria to the ten most used antibiotics)b,c, and non susceptibility trends for selected pathogens. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia spp. (n=78), Pseudomonas spp. (n=44) and Staphylococcus spp. (n=42). Yearly MDR rates oscillated between 28% (9/32 isolates, 2018) and 72% (13/18, 2016; 20/28, 2019), without evolution identified. The CA revealed low susceptibility rates of most Gram-negative bacteria to ampicillin (0-70%; x̄=15%) and cefalexin (13-81%; x̄=35%). Likewise, Pseudomonas spp. presented low susceptibility rates to numerous antibiotics (0-86%; x̄=43%). Annual non-susceptibility rates significantly decreased for Escherichia but increased for Pseudomonas and Enterococcaceae (p<0.05). Overall, AR was demonstrated for bacterial isolates at Barcelona Zoo, underscoring the need for a rational use of antibiotics. Furthermore, this study highlights how CA can serve as a guide to empirical prescriptions when cautiously elaborated and interpreted."

Anna presented the results of the article published in August 2022 about seal entanglements. The public was very happy with the content of the talk and were surprised with the results Anna showed. This is the summary of Anna's presentation: "In recent decades, the amount of marine debris in our oceans has increased, leading to more interactions between debris and animals. Increased interactions consequently lead to more entanglements, modifying an animal’s normal behaviour and potentially affecting its survival. The current study collected information on two phocid species, harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), that were affected by marine debris over 11 years (2010-2020), along the Dutch coast (n=145). The data includes strandings and sightings of live and dead animals reported to one of the three Dutch seal rehabilitation centres. The results of our study show that: (i) the number of entangled seals has quadrupled over the study period, (ii) 67% of the entangled animals were juveniles, (iii) the number of entangled grey seals was more than 4 times higher than that of harbour seals, whereas harbour seals were more likely to ingest debris, and (iv) 88% of the debris causing entanglements came from the fishing/boating industry. The species differences we found can be explained by differences in their behaviour, their foraging strategies, and their habitat preferences. There was no consensus when reporting lesions or entangling material, hence no further analysis was possible. Future research in this field will enormously benefit from standardizing data collection and for this purpose we present a new detailed stranding form. Despite increased public awareness about the adverse environmental effects of marine debris, more initiatives and policies are needed to ensure the protection of the marine environment in the Netherlands."

Thanks to this conference, both Matilde and Anna have managed to connect with many veterinarians van around the world and spread the word about the work done by and at Sealcentre Pieterburen. Furthermore, several veterinary students from many European Universities attended this conference and were interested in our educational programs, both in the veterinary and sealcare departments.


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SEALCENTRE SOUNDS ALARM OVER HARASSED PUPS

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From selfies to throwing stones, seal pups find nowhere to rest

Sealcentre Pieterburen has experienced far too many cases of disturbed seal pups in the past two weeks. In the past few weeks, 33 seal pups have been taken care of at seal centre Pieterburen. Of these, 10, a third of all cases, arguably ended up at the centre due to actions by the public. The centre stresses again that due to the Seal Agreement signed in 2020, this is strictly forbidden.

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The Sealcentre Pieterburen is sounding the alarm over the large number of disturbed seal pups it has had to take in so far. The centre has taken in 33 pups in a short period of time this season, of which as many as 10 cases, actions by bystanders were the direct reason for taking in. In comparison, 2022 saw 19 animals rehabilitated respectively, 3 of them due to disturbance. Probably this year, the warm weather played a part in the fact that there were more people on the beaches, but their behaviour of some people around seals left a lot to be desired. This ranges from taking selfies, petting seals, letting pets get close, to even throwing stones at the animals. This disturbance causes the mother not to return, leaving the helpless pup alone. Left unattended, it is likely to die.

"From an animal welfare perspective, the Sealcentre Pieterburen finds this particularly harmful"

Niek Kuizenga.

Danger to humans and animals

Moreover, touching seals, even small pups, is actually not without danger. They are the largest predators in the Netherlands. Seals have a powerful bite that can lead to severe inflammation in humans. A seal bite has to be treated with special antibiotics. In two cases, pups were placed in the arms of children for a photo. A big risk for both humans and animals.

Seal Agreement

On 4 June 2020, the Seal Agreement was signed and became effective. This agreement aims to prevent the rehabilitation of seals by increasing the use of observation and relocation. For example, it is common for pups to spend hours alone when the mother is out hunting. This has also emerged from previous behavioural research on seals (mothers) in the Dollard. Pups sometimes lie alone for up to 8 hours, with no ill effects. So a pup lying alone is not always in distress and should be left alone. Finally, the agreement also states that for the animal's safety, as well as that of humans, it is forbidden to take action on their own. Only certified seal guards are allowed to do so and are in close contact with the centre in whose area they operate. It is up to the rehabilitation centres to decide whether a seal should be taken in or not.

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Bouw update WEC

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De bouw van het Werelderfgoedcentrum in Lauwersoog is in volle gang. Op dit moment wordt er hard gewerkt aan de fundering van het gebouw. Een onderdeel daarvan is het gieten van beton. Voor zo’n groot gebouw is daar een hoop voor nodig. Gister was er zelfs een file aan betonvrachtwagens om het af te leveren. Bekijk hier de timelapse van de voortgang van afgelopen weken: http://timelapsebot.netcamviewer.nl/download/NCVTimelapser_CID_1437_PID_image_PSN_image_2023-06-01_06-18-37-1686142474.mp4 

Wil je de werkzaamheden van het Werelderfgoedcentrum op de voet volgen? Dit kan via de BouwApp!

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Sealcentre Pieterburen rehabilitates first pup of the summer

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Sealcentre Pieterburen has taken in the first common seal pup of this summer. The animal had been found by bystanders. They saw no mother around and thought it needed help. The Sealcentre would like to remind everyone that it is forbidden to touch seals except for trained seal guards. This is the only way operational seal centres can pursue the policy according to the Seal Agreement.

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On Friday afternoon 19 May, bystanders came across a common seal pup near Sint Jacobiparochie. This one was lying alone in the mud with no mother around. As it was a young animal, the bystanders assumed it could not take care of itself. Therefore, they decided to take the pup with them. They then called Sealcentre Pieterburen to seek professional help.

Acting on Seal Agreement

While the Sealcentre understands the good intentions, this is not the desired course of action. Picking up and helping seals yourself is contrary to the policy set out in the 2020 Seal Agreement . This agreement puts the focus on observing wild seals before deciding whether rehabilitation is needed. Therefore, there are trained seal guards who monitor reported animals and relay all necessary information to the seal centre for which they operate. The centre then decides whether to take a seal to the centre. This way gives the most certainty that rehabilitation was the right choice. If the public decides to intervene themselves, it becomes impossible for seal centres to pursue this policy.

Pup Crista is named after the hooded seal

A seal mother can leave her pup alone for up to eight hours, without anything needing to be wrong. Unfortunately, the pup was too severely disturbed to be returned to the area she came from. It was therefore decided to take the animal in. Once in Pieterburen, she was given the name Crista. This name is derived from the scientific name for the hooded seal, Cystophora cristata. A species of seal not normally found in the Netherlands, but which gave birth to a young on Vlieland in March this year. A unique event and therefore the inspiration for the name of the first pup this summer. She was probably at most six days old and born prematurely. This makes her still very weak and she is therefore closely monitored by the vets and intensively cared for. The pup can currently be admired from a safe distance at the Seal Centre.

Pup season in full swing

The first pup marks the start of the common seal's birthing season. Many pups will be born in the coming period and receive milk from their mothers for about three to four weeks. All seal centres and seal guards therefore continue to appeal to keep as much distance as possible from seals at this time in particular, so that mother and pup can pass this suckling period undisturbed. If people still have doubts about the health of an animal, they should report it via 144 (available 24 hours a day). After being reported, seals are observed for at least 24 hours, as research shows that many seals can handle themselves well - provided they get enough rest during those 24 hours. Seal guards can ensure this by cordoning off areas and informing the public, while staying in touch with seal centres about the animal's condition.

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Eerste paal bouw WEC

Construction World Heritage Centre started

News

The construction of the new Wadden Sea World Heritage Centre has officially started! Thursday 20 April was the official kick-off. The first pile was placed in the ground. We celebrated this special moment at the construction site in the harbour of Lauwersoog with a gathering of various stakeholders, invitees and those directly involved. We are so proud!

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  • Eerste paal bouw WEC

  • Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee Lauwersoog

  • Helmen op de bouwplaats

  • Niek Kuizenga

The first pile was driven by someone very special: Ona van Dijk (almost 3 years old). Ona is the daughter of our colleagues Sander van Dijk and Eva Nogue Astier. With this, we want to emphasise that a centre is being built where awareness about the future of the Wadden Sea region for Ona, her generation and the generations after her is central.

Our director Niek: "At this special place, we will work on a healthy balance between people and nature, for the world of tomorrow. We are doing it for 'Ona', her generation and all generations after her. This centre will be a place where we roll up our sleeves to involve people in our mission with activities, exhibitions and experiences. This way, we want to inspire and activate as many people as possible to do their own bit for a sustainable and healthy Wadden Sea."

A pledge to the Wadden area

A glimpse of the new experience: an interactive exhibition that we will open in 2025. With an activity, we guided attendees to a personal promise to the Wadden Sea region for the near future. These promises are linked on site to an old anchor chain. In this way, when the World Heritage Centre opens in two years' time, people will be able to look back on a collection of promises to the Wadden Sea region that have not been forgotten and hopefully even fulfilled

Waddenbelofte

Follow the construction

Now the construction started, you can follow the development easily through the 'BouwApp'. How?

  1. Go to your app store to download the BouwApp for free. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.
  2. Search in the app for 'Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee' or 'WEC'. 
  3. Open the project and hit 'follow'.

Bouwplaats Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee Lauwersoog

Or check out the project website of World Heritage Centre Wadden Sea.

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Hooded seal pup not seen

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The relocation site is not accessible to public. In collaboration with the ministry, we checked on Tuesday 4 April to see if the pup was still at the location, but there was no sign of it. On Thursday 13 April, there was also no sign of the pup.

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  • Klapmuts jong wordt vervoerd

  • Klapmuts op nieuwe locatie

  • Klapmuts pup in Nederland

On the morning of Monday 27 March, a hooded cap gave birth to a young on Vlieland beach in the Netherlands. At the request of various authorities, we unfortunately had to move the pup to a quiet nature reserve on Friday, March 31. Therefore, we are cooperating with the ministry to monitor the area and keep an eye on the pup. An observation was conducted at the site on Tuesday 4 April, but the pup was not seen. On Thursday 13 April, there was also no sign of the pup. We therefore suspect that the animal has left, but we continue to monitor the location closely.

Op dinsdag 4 april is er een observatie uitgevoerd op de locatie, maar de pup werd niet gezien. Op donderdag 13 april was er ook geen teken van de pup. We vermoeden daarom dat het dier vertrokken is, maar we blijven de locatie nauwlettend in de gaten houden.

Reallocation

Unfortunately, partly at the request of various authorities, we had to relocate the newborn hooded seal to a quiet nature reserve. The mother had left, entirely as expected. The suckling period (which is very short for hooded seals: 4 days) was over. During this period, the pup needs rest. Because of the crowds on the beach and therefore too much disturbance, we were worried about this. One of the precautions we took was to move the pup to a nature reserve where people were not allowed. Here, he could not be disturbed as the area is not open to the public. 

Klapmuts moeder en pup op vlieland

Hooded seal mother and pup on Vlieland

Credits: Gerard Koster Joenje – Vlielandplaatjes.nl


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Volwassen grijze zeehond

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Last Sunday, Cornelia was released! This adult grey seal came to us weakened on 21 February. And now she is strong enough again to return to the Wadden Sea. Together with other grey seals, she was released. It was a beautiful release at sunset.

Het gebeurt niet vaak dat we een volwassen grijze zeehond in de opvang hebben. Vrijwilliger Martina Zilian heeft mooie foto’s van haar gemaakt. 

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  • Zeehond cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

  • Close up van zeehond cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

  • Volwassen grijze zeehond Cornelia Foto: Martina Zilian

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Collega Sander op tv programma Tijd voor Max

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De geboorte van een klapmuts op Vlieland was bijzonder nieuws. Onze collega Sander van Dijk was uitgenodigd bij het tv programma Tijd voor Max om meer te vertellen over de deze zeehondensoort. Hij had onder andere een schedel van klapmuts meegenomen om te laten zien aan de kijkers. Ook was Gerard Koster Joenje van vlielandplaatjes.nl erbij om wat mooie beelden te laten zien. De onderstaande afbeeldingen zijn ook van Gerard. 

Bekijk here het fragment.

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